Rabbi Avigdor Miller’s grandson once came to visit him. Upon entering the house he found his grandfather standing by a bowl of water, putting his head in the water for a while, taking it out and after taking a deep breath once more putting his head in the water. “Zaidy! What are you doing!?” Rabbi Miller flashed his grandson a broad smile: “Not to worry!” he said, and plunged his head right back in the water. He kept his head down a little, and then lifted it up, taking in a deep breath air. He then explained to his grandson: “For the past few days everyone's been complaining that the air in the area is polluted and unhealthy. I felt that this is affecting my appreciation of the amazing, invaluable gift of fresh air. That's why I immersed my head in water to renew my appreciation for this most precious gift. Every time I lift my head out of the water and my lungs fills with delightful delicious air, my heart fills with gratitude to Hashem for this wonderful indispensable entity that He designed for us!”
Dr. Sylvan Shane, a”h, would speak in awe and amazement of the 22.5% oxygen in the air we breathe, not one percent more, not one percent less, precisely what we need for our wellbeing. More oxygen would make us feel drunk, less would be fatal. No matter how many trees we burn, no matter how many people live on the planet, there is always the same percentage, and it never changes. Who is standing there, constantly regulating the oxygen level in the world to enable us to live healthfully and happily?
[kol todah]
